Sue Ann Watford

Sue Ann Watford serves as a Contract Specialist within the FA4819 325 Cons Pkp unit of the Department of the Air Force, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions to sustain critical aerospace infrastructure and advanced sensing systems. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle management of contracts for research and development, facility modernization, and specialized aviation components, ensuring alignment with Air Force operational readiness objectives. She routinely handles competitive procurements under FAR Part 15, including solicitation drafting, source selection, and contract award, with a focus on technical solutions that enhance base resilience and mission-critical capability sustainment. Watford collaborates with a diverse range of contractors specializing in engineering services, analytical instrumentation, and flight training systems. While no single vendor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing deep technical expertise in physical sciences R&D and aerospace systems integration. Her working relationships emphasize performance-based contracting, rigorous technical evaluation, and compliance with DoD acquisition standards, fostering partnerships with both large primes and niche technology providers capable of meeting stringent military specifications. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 94.1% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical merit and mission necessity over socioeconomic preferences. Nevertheless, she maintains a deliberate 5.9% allocation to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but consistent commitment to small business participation in high-technical-demand categories. Watford’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, where she acquires advanced R&D services for engineering and physical sciences, particularly in sensing technologies and data acquisition systems. She also procures flight training equipment (NAICS 611512) and specialized analytical instruments (NAICS 334516 and 334519), reflecting her expertise in aerospace systems sustainment and laboratory-grade measurement technologies. Her work supports the modernization of Air Force installations through technically rigorous, mission-driven acquisitions.